Midnight Walk
by Down-In-Flames
Summary: Rika and Renamon stroll the park in the late hours of the night. The past is laid bare, and new understandings are formed. This story was a remedy for boredom.


_My first posted Digimon fic, so be nice. Took about one hour nightly for five nights, maybe a little longer taking into account the fact that it was really, really late and I had a disoriented concept of time. But I digress. On to the story._

Darkness. Complete silence, stillness, the era of night sans breeze and motion. Nary a leaf falls nor a blade of dew-covered grass stirs. Signs of life are absent, and the only indication of the passage of time is the furtive sidling of the moon across the starlit sky. Peace and serenity. Utter tranquility abounding and flowing over the scenery, coating all in a blanket of hazy security.

The snap of a twig shatters the night like an icy pane of glass, birds scrambling from the sudden sound that has startled them so. Hidden under the shadowy silhouette of a tree, a vague figure cringes and curses noiselessly. It bolts from its leafy hiding place and dashes for whatever relative security may present itself, skirting around trees and jumping over cobbled paths in its flight.

A second being materializes beside the first and keeps pace with unnerving ease, eyes shining in the white light of the moon. A choking cry escapes the mouth of the first, and the unlucky soul stumbles from a kick dealt by the second. The unfortunate Yashamon falls heavily, rolling and tumbling along the grass, limbs flailing about uncontrollably. Coming to stop in a heap, the bedraggled Yashamon achingly gets to it's feet, drawing it's twin bokkens and taking up a defensive stance, eyes darting every which way for the predator that hunts it.

The hunter appears silently behind the alert Yashamon, slowing raising a shadowed arm to deal the final blow. She swings for the neck, but the Yashamon instinctively ducks, prolonging his life by that much more time. He turns and counters with a wide swing of a wooden sword, but his assailant is already away. He whirls about, searching for those ominous eyes in all the shadows and mists of the park.

And again, like magic, she is before him again, this time several yards directly ahead. Unmoving, she stares across the cultivated lawn at him. The Yashamon holds the stare for a few long seconds, then draws his weapons back and charges, feet pounding the ground as he thunders toward his enemy. His opponent leaps into the air, soaring about ten feet above the head of the Yashamon. Her arms extend outwards in a flash of motion, a streak of light flies to the ground, and the Yashamon slumps over, landing heavily on his side. His body starts to glimmer, and it breaks into pixilated particles that float along and shimmer into nothingness.

Landing lightly, the victor bows her head for but a moment before raising it to gaze upon the moon and clouds. Standing illuminated in the light of the luminous orb, Renamon felt oddly at peace, despite recent occurrences. It was a feeling not uncommon to her when she ventured through the city at night, leaping from rooftop to rooftop and pondering matters that peaked her concern. Her vulpine body stood tall in that park lawn, and her golden fur glistened slightly from the reflective rays of the orb in the sky. Her long, slender ears perked suddenly, and she disappeared into the air with nary a trace.

Renamon emerged near one of the winding paths that ran through West Shinjuku Park, eyes centered on the silhouetted figure leaning casually against a tree trunk next to a bench, arms folded across her chest. Rika Nonaka pushed away from the trunk, stepping into the focused beam of the path-light. Hers and Renamon's eyes locked, and a simple nod was issued between the two before they set off down the walk and towards home.

They strode along in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts and emotions. Renamon had no worry of anyone seeing her at this hour of the night, and she walked gracefully along alongside her Tamer. At times the trees ceased to cover the path, and Rika and Renamon were bathed in a flowing, silky moonlight. The path wound through to the edge of the park, twisting and turning in a leisurely way until it abruptly opened to a busy street filled with cars rolling steadily through foggy mists and dancing lights.

Rika sighed an impatient and slightly disappointed sigh. She checked the time by the watch at her wrist.

8:00 on a wintry Saturday night. It was too early to go home, of that she felt sure. Her mother was gone anyway, and her grandmother trusted her enough to let her stay out. Besides, she knew Rika had nothing to fear with Renamon nearby.

Still, she was left at indecision. Too early to go home, too late to find friends.

She shrugged lightly to herself, realizing that she had little choice but to take a chance and see what the night had to offer.

"Come on Renamon. We're going for a walk."

Rika half-turned, taking another of the paths deep into the secluded sections of the park, away from the late-night lovers and jogging buffs. Renamon followed suit, always silent and willing.

It was akin to retracing their previous footsteps, and yet not so. The scenery was indeed similar, but that was like saying an apple and a stop sign were similar were similar because they were both red. A different mood hung between them this time, and neither one could say they didn't feel it. It was a sort of…

How would Rika put it? Relaxation? Partly, but that was only a piece to the puzzle. Perhaps it was an aura of… expectation. Yes, that was it.

Before, they had a goal and were working to reach the goal; neutralize the wild one, return home. But now, it was like being turned loose, in a spiritual sense of course. Glancing sidelong at Renamon, Rika noticed the faintest of smirks laced into her facial features, though her eyes were still directed forward. Rika suddenly felt the need to speak.

"Renamon?"

"Yes, Rika?"

"Do you find something amusing?" Rika questioned, her tone serious but not at all harsh.

Renamon allowed herself to chuckle once, the smirk on her face becoming just a little more prominent. "I am sorry Rika."

"Don't be. I am just wondering."

"I find it very interesting that you are… so alive." Renamon said with a slight nod of her head. Catching Rika's curious look, she restated "It's just that I can see you think and follow every twist and turn your mind takes along the way."

"How so?"

"It's in the way you stand, the way you move. I can see different muscles of your body twitch at different times, like how your face unconsciously gives away your inner emotions through a blink of the eye of a ruffle of the brow."

"Glad to see I'm so readable." Rika stated sarcastically.

"Don't think of it as negative. I think I can only see it because I have been around you all this time. In fact, I often see it as a relief from the blankness of other humans. You always seem to be filled with a perpetual warmth and energy. It can be very refreshing."

To this, Rika simply nodded. She walked along quietly, letting silence take over and taking time to digest the information she was just given.

They broke cover from the trees and were strolling through a grassier section of the park. Brilliant moonlight poured down upon their heads and the grass around them, soaking everything in an unusual yet stunningly beautiful blue-silver. The night was calm, and the only noise to reach their ears was the soft rippling of a large fountain and the distant hum of the sleepy city.

On impulse, Rika stepped off the path to venture toward the fountain, the grass crunching softly underneath her feet with each step. She reached the large stone fountain and stood almost reverently, gazing at her face against a reflected moon and stars. There was more crunching grass, and suddenly Renamon was beside her, her face now added to the reflective canvas of the water.

Rika's eyes traveled to Renamon's mirrored face, and she watched with a serene sort of admiration the way her eyes seemed to dance, even though her body was always still.

She realized that Renamon was the sort of individual whom one could always count on, and Rika admired her for her stability and determination. She always seemed to be there, ready to assist Rika or lend advice during a challenging situation.

And she HAD always been there, even when Rika had been controlling and harsh. Renamon had stayed beside her through insult, attack, and confusion, despite Rika's berating and belittling manner. Suddenly Rika felt an overwhelming amount of shame for her past actions, even though she and Renamon had since fostered a strong companionship. She felt the need for conversation once more.

"Renamon?"

"Yes?"

Rika paused, choosing her words. "During our first times together, did you ever hold any desire to leave because of the way I treated you?"

Renamon wore a slightly sorrowful expression as she replied, "I would be lying if told you that the thought never crossed my mind, but things were different back then… for both of us. All you need to know now is that I will never abandon you, not for any reason."

Rika nodded, satisfied at the answer. She continued, "Still, I regret my actions. I wish there was a way that I could change them…"

"Not all the turbulence was your fault, Rika. I too was of a different opinion than I am now. I saw humanity and this whole world as nothing more than a way to become stronger, to conquer more so that I would not be weak. I realize now that it is not important, but back then it mattered enough for me to endure all the troubles we faced."

Rika was quiet for a few long minutes more, then she spoke again. "Not to pry, but Renamon, you could have chosen any potential Tamer in the world, right? So why me? I mean, aside from the whole 'Digimon Queen' business, was there anything else that you saw in me besides power and opportunity? Why me, when you could have had Henry or Takato?"

Renamon turned to face Rika and spoke out with a surprisingly gentle yet assertive tone. "Never doubt yourself, Rika. The day you stop believing in your own abilities is the day that you lose those abilities, giving up your very identity in the process."

Rika nodded lightly.

"There were reasons for everything I did back then. I knew that I could have gone to Henry, or Ryo, or, to a lesser extent, Takato. What matters is that I chose you. I wouldn't have been happy with any of those other Tamers, I couldn't have related to any of them."

"But are you happy now?"

"Now? Without a doubt." Renamon turned back to gaze at the watery embodiment of the sky. "You and I are alike in many ways. I have felt it since the beginning, and I suppose that it is the reason that I chose to reveal myself to you." She chuckled lowly. "Two loners, each one desiring greatness and strength. Both of us were rigid and determined, and that was what brought us far."

"Would you change any of it?"

"Would you?"

"No."

"Neither would I, Rika. To change the past is to change the present and future, and I am perfectly happy with how things have worked out between us."

Rika gave her an inquiring look. "How do you mean?"

"I am talking about how we can be open and understanding with one another. We're more than partners now, I think. We're… friends." Renamon said, still regarding the luminous moon.

Rika grinned. "Yeah."

What she did next surprised even herself. Moving silently next to Renamon, Rika took the digimon's three-fingered hand in her own and gave it a soft squeeze, blushing brilliantly all the while. She let it go quickly and strode off and across the grass, scrunching the stiff grasses.

Renamon, for her part, had been caught quite unawares. She stood stock still, eyes slightly wider than normal and locked out over the surface of the water.

"You coming?" Rika called back over her shoulder. The tone of her voice held no hint that anything had even happened. Maybe Renamon had imagined the whole thing…

She broke free of her trance, jogging lightly to catch up with Rika, who was already halfway across the grass.

"Where are we going?" Renamon questioned. "Home?"

"No, I… I thought we could walk some more."

Renamon smiled.

_So, you see, I tried to keep this one relatively short, which can be a great feat for me. It was pretty natural to write, and I'm relatively pleased with how some of the dialogue turned out. I tried to find all verbs and adjectives that had been overused, so hopefully you didn't run into any. Hope everyone can find it within themselves to review. I really need the feedback._


End file.
